Battle on the Ice

In 1240, German and Danish knights crossed the border and occupied a large portion of north-west Rus, including the town of Pskov. Led by Alexander Nevsky, the Russians recaptured several towns and marched on Lake Chudovo, blocking the enemy’s advance towards Novgorod.

The Battle of Chudovo – also known as the Battle on the Ice – was fought on 5 April 1242. The Russian forces surrounded and crushed the German knights in what was the first major victory of infantry over cavalry.

The Russians managed to rout a much superior force, capturing fifty knights and killing more than five hundred. Victory at the Battle on the Ice put an end to the eastern raids of the Teutonic knights, which had gone on for several centuries with the tacit support of the Papal Curia.